Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part one. Groundings

Theory and practice : the mediating discourse

Participatory (Action) research in social theory : origins and challenges

Action research in the workplace : the socio-technical perspective

Infusing race into the US discourse on action research

Uneven ground : feminisms and action research

Power and knowledge

Knowledge and participatory research

Exploring the relevance of critical theory for action research : emancipatory action research in the footsteps of Jürgen Habermas

Pragmatic action research and the struggle to transform universities into learning communities

The humanistic approach to action research

Engaging sympathies : relationships between action research and social constructivism

The relationship of 'systems thinking' to action research

Action research as the hidden curriculum of the Western Tradition

Part two. Practices

Action science : creating communities of inquiry in communities of practice

I wish this were a poem of practices of participatory research

The practice of co-operative inquiry : research 'with' rather than 'on' people

Appreciative inquiry : the power of the unconditional positive question

Large-group processes as action research

The use of words: improving enterprises by improving their conversations

Ethnodrama : constructing participatory, experiential and compelling action research through performance

Clinical inquiry / Research

Community action research : learning as a community of practitioners, consultants and researcher

The practice of action inquiry

The turn to action and the linguistic turn : towards an integrated methodology

Educational action research

Part three. Exemplars

Working together, learning together : co-operative inquiry in the development of complex practice by teams of social workers

The early mothering project : what happened when the words 'Action research' came to life for a group of midwives

Citizen participation in natural resource management

Learning with The Natural Step : action research to promote conversations for sustainable development

Transforming lives : towards bicultural competence

Action research to develop an interorganizational network

Transpersonal co-operative inquiry

Using co-operative inquiry to transform evaluation of nursing students' clinical practice

Collaborative inquiry with African American community leaders : comments on a participatory action research process

Participatory research and education for social change : highlander research and education center

Creative arts and photography in participatory action research in Guatemala

The art of clinical inquiry in information technology-related change

The sights and sounds of indigenous knowledge

Participatory action research in Southern Tanzania, with special reference to women

Six street youth who could ...

Part four. Skills

Collaborative off-line reflection : a way to develop skill in action science and action inquiry

On working with graduate research students

The mirror, the magnifying glass, the compass and the map : facilitating participatory action research

Self-reflective inquiry practices

The third task of universities or how to get universities to serve their communities!

Conclusion : broadening the bandwidth of validity : issues and choice-points for improving the quality of action research